Business forms processing equipment, such as collators, typically have punching attachments associated with them for forming different patterns and sizes of punched holes in business forms. For example, machines for that purpose include Hamilton Collators, as well as the Hamilton, HFV and 600 Collators. Conventional Hamilton Collators have individual cassettes which have an anvil roll, a punch cylinder of a particular size, and drive gears associated with the anvil roll and punch cylinder. Each time it is desired to change the punching pattern or size, it is necessary to remove the cassette and replace it with an entirely different cassette which requires a costly inventory of cassette units because a wide variety of different sizes must be kept on hand in order to have flexibility in punching business forms.
According to the present invention, the drawbacks associated with prior art collators with punch units, as described above, are avoided. According to the present invention it is necessary to only have a single cassette, and to mount a punch cylinder shaft in association with a cassette frame so as to accommodate a wide variety of different sizes of punch cylinders for business forms having lengths from 6 1/2 to 24 inches. Quick changeover between one punching cylinder and another is provided according to the present invention, meaning that only punch cylinders need be inventoried, not entire cassettes. Yet there is no significant down time when changing from one punch cylinder to another according to the invention.
According to one aspect of the present invention a hole punch cassette is provided comprising the following elements: A frame having first and second side members and a top member. An anvil cylinder mounted on an anvil shaft, the anvil shaft mounted in bearings connected to the side members to define a first substantially horizontal axis stationary with respect to the frame. An anvil cylinder shaft mounted drive gear. A punch cylinder shaft. Means for releasably mounting the punch cylinder shaft to first and second bearing assemblies so that the punch cylinder shaft is parallel to the anvil shaft. Means for mounting the punch cylinder shaft bearing assemblies on the side members so that the bearing assemblies are reciprocal toward and away from the anvil cylinder. Means for releasably mounting a punch cylinder to the punch cylinder shaft. And means for releasably mounting a punch cylinder drive gear on the punch cylinder shaft.
The cassette according to the invention is provided in combination with a plurality of punch cylinders and matching punch cylinder drive gears, each of the punch cylinders and punch cylinder drive gears having an interior diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the punch cylinder shaft. A punched paper suction removal device (conventional per se) may be mounted on the punch cylinder shaft adjacent the punch cylinder on the shaft. The means for releasably mounting the punch cylinder and associated punch cylinder gear to the punch shaft may each comprise a conventional set screw. Also, the means for releasably mounting the punch cylinder shaft to the bearing assemblies may comprise a set screw cooperating with one of the bearing assemblies and the punch cylinder shaft.
The means for mounting the punch cylinder shaft bearing assemblies may comprise first and second screw shafts rotatably mounted on the first and second bearing assemblies, respectively, and first and second internally threaded portions stationarily mounted to the frame top member. A disogrin blanket may be wrapped around the anvil cylinder. Indicia may be provided on at least one of the frame side members for indicating the position to which the bearing assembly should be moved for punch cylinders of different sizes. Also, a hoist-connectable bar may be releasably connected to the top frame member to allow ready transport of the frame out of the collator to a work area where the punch cylinder is easily changed.
The invention also relates to a business form collator which includes a business form punching machine including a drive mechanism and a business forms feed mechanism. The collator comprises: A cassette having a frame, and a fixed axis anvil cylinder shaft with anvil cylinder and drive gear thereon, the drive gear cooperating with the drive mechanism. The cassette further comprises a punch cylinder shaft parallel to the anvil cylinder shaft and mounted on the frame for linear movement toward and away from the anvil cylinder shaft. And a punch cylinder and associated drive gear removably mounted on the punch cylinder shaft, so that the punch cylinder and associated gear may be replaced without replacing the entire cassette.
The invention also relates to a method of changing the punch cylinder in a business form punching apparatus. The method comprises the following steps: (a) Moving the punch cylinder shaft bearing assemblies on the frame away from the anvil cylinder so that there is significant clearance between the anvil and punch cylinders. (b) Disconnecting the punch cylinder shaft from the bearing assemblies so that the punch cylinder shaft is movable with respect to the bearing assemblies. (c) Removing the punch cylinder shaft drive gear from the punch cylinder shaft. (d) Moving the punch cylinder shaft with respect to the bearing assemblies so that the shaft is completely separated from one of the bearing assemblies, to provide a free end. (e) Removing the punch cylinder from the free end of the punch cylinder shaft. (f) Inserting a different punch cylinder, and associated drive gear, on the punch cylinder shaft. (g) Moving the punch cylinder shaft back into operative association with the bearing assemblies. And (h) moving the bearing assemblies of the punch cylinder shaft toward the anvil cylinder so that the punch cylinder and anvil cylinder and the punch cylinder drive gear and anvil shaft drive gear are in operative association with each other, with the punch cylinder and anvil shafts parallel to each other.
Steps (a) and (b) may be practiced by linearly reciprocating the bearing assemblies with respect to the frame by rotating a screw shaft associated with each of the bearing assemblies with respect to the frame. There may also be the further step of removing the frame from the business form punching apparatus and moving it to a remote location, and practicing steps (b) through (g) at the remote location. The removing step may be practiced by attaching a cross bar to the frame, connecting the hoist to the cross bar, and moving the frame with the hoist. Steps (b), (c) and (e) may be practiced, at least in part, by loosening a set screw. There may also be the further step of moving a punched paper suction removal device into association with the punch cylinder mounted on the punch cylinder shaft.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the quick, efficient, cost effective changeover from one punch cylinder to another in the punching of business forms or the like. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.